


Tumble

by orphan_account



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-31 00:40:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12664767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Negan's men catch Rick.





	Tumble

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HadasaGrimes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HadasaGrimes/gifts).



> I haven't watched any of Season 8 yet. Please forgive any mistakes! This was a request - thanks HadasaGrimes, I hope this turned out....

 

 

There were only two ways this could end.

Rick's subjugation or Rick's death.

He would like to think the removal of Negan - through death or other means - was an option at this point. It wasn't. Rick probably wouldn't live to see it.

The woods were dark and consequently there was a lot of confusion. Negan's men everywhere, and of course Morales. It was a handover and Negan had told them he wanted Rick alive.

The man himself probably wouldn't be present. Rick had no doubt that he'd meet him at the gate when he arrived. Rick was too much a thorn in his side.

What Rick hadn't imagined was that Negan would come out for the pick up himself.  
He spotted him from fifteen feet away.

His soldiers weren't in line - still confusedly tending to this or that, holding a line further on where walkers threatened to break through.

And Negan - devoid of showmanship - simply _walked_.

The very sight of the man cutting through the crowd towards him made Rick feel limp, weak, already slipping to his knees. He regretted it immediately as a wide, satisfied grin split Negan's face.

Rick maintained that it wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been so badly beaten.

And Negan hadn't even reached him yet when he started to whistle. That same low, eerie whistle. His soldiers joined in.The pure sense memory of before wasn't so easily dismissed. Rick felt it. Really though, there was only himself now, in danger, and that made it easier to bear.

"Hello _Rick_." Negan said, so pleased and viciously teasing.

And like that night - Rick found he couldn't answer. So unsure was he of the rules. He managed to shake it off though. To draw himself up as much as he was able on his knees.

"You put yourself on your knees for me. That's a good start." Negan said unkindly, and everyone was watching them then. "What say we get out of here?"

He was roughly manhandled, Negan pulling him up by the collar of his shirt. Dragging him along with only slightly more dignity than that first night. Rick struggled to keep his feet under him.

It was an RV.

Rick stopped short upon seeing it despite himself. It didn't stop Negan's relentless pull forward. Rick lost his footing and Negan dragged him the rest of the way, shaking him up roughly before opening the door and pushing Rick inside.

"Fitting, isn't it?" he asked.

Negan's hands were still on him, pushing him into the booth. Negan would be stupid to give Rick a chance, like that first night. Rick wasn't going to make the same mistake. If an opening came, Rick wouldn't hesitate.

Negan sat across from him, unreadable. The terrible anger and intimidation wasn't there though, and that gave Rick pause.

"I can't abide this, Rick. You know that." Negan sighed heavily, as if it wasn't just an act.

Rick continued to say nothing.

"You can speak." Negan snapped roughly.

Rick scoffed, and turned his gaze away. Eventually though, he spoke.

"You better kill me."

Negan threw his hands up in the air in mock approval.

"Why's that Rick?"

The moment was tense. Rick felt himself sweating.

"Whatever you have planned-" Rick bit out only to be summarily interrupted with a sharp laugh.

"What I have _planned_ Rick is peace. Is people working together and surviving." Negan's voice was earnest. "I mean this has got fucking out of control. A lot of fucking people are going to die."

"And whose fault is that?!" Rick couldn't help the way his eyes snapped back to the man, glaring.

"My system works."

And who was Negan? Certainly not someone who would sit Rick down and talk to him about saving people and systems that work. He was a psychopath.

Only.

That wasn't exactly true. It was what Rick had believed. He could almost have tricked himself into believing Negan spared them all simply so he'd have more workers if it hadn't been for their interactions on that first pick up.

 _See_ , Negan had seemed to say, _I care this community does not have enough food. I promise, you comply and you will all survive._

Rick would like to think he could no longer be unbalanced by Negan's changing tides. That he had found something resembling rational and motivation.

Of course - thinking that and facing the man himself were very different things.

"We can't live under it." Rick said simply, honestly.

Negan would have to kill him. He'd no doubt had Rick brought alive for the honor. It would solidify his dominance over them all. Rick only felt regretful that Maggie would share the same fate.

Once the leaders were dead Negan would walk right in and take over once again.

"Oh I think you can." Negan said stiffly. "I could break you again Rick. I could haul you out of here - beat the fuck out of you, piss on you and have my men cheering me on all the while."

Rick's expression grew more steely as Negan continued.

"A proper fucking prize - my own little wind up toy. I could break you fucking _good_. After thinking it over - Carl's off the table. That was fucked up. But your little girlfriend? Or one of the others? Daryl? I could fuck them right up. I'm not going to do that though, Rick."

He obviously expected Rick to ask. Rick didn't, although he twitched in discomfort at Negan's intense stare. Negan's eyes roving over his face.

"They beat you Rick, badly by the looks of it, they do anything else?"

Negan's expression was dangerous, stern, and Rick took a moment to sort out the words but they still didn't make sense. Torture hadn't been off the table, but it hadn't happened. And why should Negan care if it did?

At his continued silence Negan grew more agitated.

" _Jesus_ , Rick." And Negan sounded worried, "Did they assault you? Did they-"

"Assault?" Rick asked dumbly, sour. "They beat me."

Did Negan think it was funny to bring it up?

Something like a growl spilled from Negan then.  

"Did they...touch you? I mean - sexually assaul-"

"No!" Rick denied hotly. "Why would you even think-"

"You were so fucking quiet! I didn't know!' Negan defended.

"Why would you even care if you're just going to kill me?" It was a valid question.

Rick had little patience to deal with Negan's probing questions. It wasn't the time or place for petty conversation.

"Kill you? I think I remember saying I wanted you alive." Negan sat back, relief palpable. "I want this to end without further blood shed. I was only telling you what I could do."

"I don't see how any of that's possible." Rick said stonily.

And Negan would be foolish to believe Rick didn't want the same - to end it without more war. But it wasn't a senseless war.

"Be my second."

The words stunned Rick for a moment.

" _Never_." Rick's voice was venomous.

Negan waited but when nothing more was forthcoming he continued.

"That's the only way this ends. The only way we walk out of here. It can't be how you want - not right now." Negan leaned towards him from across the table, voice lowering a register, " _Come on Rick_. I'm not talking about being a foot solider. I'm talking about a marriage of communities."

Seductive, Negan was trying to sound _seductive_.

"That'll never work." Rick spit out.

Negan was only trying to confuse him, he was sure. And maybe that had been what that whole concerned bit had been about.

"First, we walk out - hand in fucking hand - and declare the war over, you as my second - an advisor, and the liason for all three communities - providing they agree to a ceasefire. The Sanctuary collects a tribute, freely given in good faith. In exchange my soldiers help rebuild and fortify whatever's been damaged - and we give all communities a portion of their shit back. After that, we equalize things slowly. Encourage trade and what not."

"You've thought about this." Rick couldn't stop the words from spilling out.

It seemed almost unbelievable.

"I did." Negan agreed. "What you'd get back would be a hell of a lot more than the tribute."

"Your soldiers though... "

"They won't be fucking happy, I agree." Negan watched Rick intently, "Might need to bolster the forces with volunteers from all three communities."

Rick had to remind himself he didn't trust this man. Only Negan looked so earnest - so cool, calm and collected.

"And what do you get out of it?" Rick asked, still needing to be swayed.

It could all be a cruel joke. A way to add insult to injury just before Rick's execution.

"I get a lot of things." Negan replied cryptically. It was obvious he wasn't willing to expand.

"I don't know if I could convince the others."Rick said cautiously.

It was true. They wouldn't want to be convinced.

"You will." Negan sighed in something like exhaustion before hauling himself up from the booth.

Rick made to exit just as Negan pushed him back down into the seat, stilling him with a hand on his shoulder. He looked up searchingly, finding Negan's sharp gaze upon him.

"I'm glad it worked out Rick."

That Rick was glad it worked out too was a glaringly large understatement. He still didn't know if he believed the man or not. If any of it would even _work_.

But then Negan was moving across the RV and to the door. Rick followed, only stuttering back when Negan's proffered hand was held up in front of him.

"What? You thought I was joking about holding hands?"

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
